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Brocade MLXe Routers in stock. How they compare to the MLX Series.

We have a good supply of MLXe routers in stock, and wanted to share that news with you, provide some background, and give you a bit of comparison.

Some brief background about the MLXe

Previously Brocade offered the NetIron MLX for edge routing and the NetIron XMR for core routing. Those lines were consolidated into the newer MLXe line, which can run either MLX or XMR cards, Generation 1 or Generation 2, including 100Gbps line cards. If you are thinking of deploying an edge or core router on a limited budget, a used MLX or XMR might still be a great option as it is still very capable, and offers a lot of value for the money. We have an extensive stock of all that hardware in our hands today.

MLXe vs MLX – a comparison

If you have a little more budget and want to go with the latest version, the MLXe is an excellent platform to look at. The main difference is that the MLXe supports 100Gbps cards at line rate, while the MLX is limited to 80Gbps (8x10Gbps) cards -- not terribly important for most deployments.

The other differences are dictated by the management module that is selected, from the Gen1 NI-MLX-MR at the low end to BR-MLX-MR2-X at the top end. All “–X” part numbers support 1M ipV4 routes in hardware.

Lastly the MLXe comes with the Gen2 High-Speed Switch Fabrics (HSF) that are required to run the Gen2 line cards. But those HSFs can be added to the Gen1 chassis to run Gen2 cards as well. Both support full hardware redundancy within the chassis.

 

Key Comparison Specs

Brocade MLX

Brocade MLXe

Per/slot throughput max 

Up to 80Gbps

Up to 100Gbps

Management Modules

Gen1 or Gen2

Gen2

Max ipV4 routes in hardware

512k

512k-1M

High-Speed Switch Fabrics

Optional; req’d for Gen2 cards

Standard

Cost

$$

$$$

 

As a networking equipment dealer specializing in new and used Brocade network hardware, including the acquired Foundry Networks products, Terabit Systems has sold Brocade MLX, XMR and MLXe solutions of all sorts to our customers. We can tailor them exactly to your budget and requirements: AC or DC power supplies; Gen1 or Gen2 cards; 4-slot, 8-slot, 16-slot; copper, fiber, or 10Gig line cards -- we can configure it however you need it.

Get in touch to discuss a quote that fits your precise needs or to answer any questions.

Brian Stadtmiller, Terabit System, 415 230 4353

July 22, 2013